8/23/2010

Why would Charles Kennedy resign ?

The silly season is upon us and Labour politicians, desperate to breathe some life in to possibly the dullest leadership campaign in history are trying to make a story out of the possibility of Charles Kennedy defecting to Labour.

There are many reasons why CK would be unlikely to defect to Labour. These reasons have been discussed at length elsewhere in great detail, but for me, the main reason why Charles would find it hard to join the Labour Party is Iraq. Iraq was the defining issue during Charles Kennedy's leadership of the Lib Dems, and whilst Kennedy was putting his head above the parapet, Labour poured scorn upon him. This derision from Labour would be difficult to forget.

But more important than Iraq, Charles, like me, almost certainly feels that he still is a Lib Dem, its just that the parliamentary party doesn't look like the Lib Dems anymore. Charles, like Simon Hughes, are still true standard bearers of the Lib Dem cause, and we need them desperately to keep the Liberal Democrats true to the values we campaigned for at the General Election.

It's not Charles who should be leaving the party, it's that a number of Lib Dem MPs need to remember that they are Liberal Democrats, not Tories !